


Forgive Me

by cvsossong



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, JARVIS meddles but it's cool, M/M, Peter Needs to Control his Mood Swings, Superhusbands, Teen Angst, Teen Peter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 09:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2768255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cvsossong/pseuds/cvsossong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony have been dating for several years and lately Peter has grown to dislike the relationship more and more. When he finally snaps and lets Steve know what he really things of him, angst ensues and JARVIS gives Peter a little lesson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgive Me

Peter had always grown up around the Avengers. They moved in when he was six, and had sort of been staying in the Tower ever since then. Peter hadn’t minded. He really liked most of the team, especially when he’d been younger. And it was nice seeing his dad smiling and relaxing again.

But Peter hated Steve.

He was just so self-righteous and arrogant, all full of American freedom and justice or whatever. Peter had liked him when he was younger—though now he was pretty sure it was just because Steve made such good sandwiches—but lately he was like a thorn in Peter’s side.

Steve was just so… _good._ He constantly corrected Peter’s mistakes, even if they were stupid, and always pointed out when he did something wrong on his homework. He insisted that Peter and his dad eat ‘healthier’ and even tried preventing Peter from going out with his friends.

The worst part of it all was that he was dating Peter’s dad. Steve and Tony had been dating for about five years and Peter _hated_ ever second of it. They were mushy and always cuddling together or talking to each other or mentioning each other in conversation. They weren’t even married and sometimes it was like they were connected at the hip or something.

“What would you like for breakfast, Peter?” Steve asked. Peter rolled his eyes when the man wasn’t looking and leaned back in his chair, grabbing his phone to text Gwen.

“I’ll get some cereal or something,” he mumbled in response.

Steve was always here now. He was in their kitchen, in their living room, in the workshop with his dad. It was exhausting, trying to pretend like Peter didn’t care.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked. “I could make you some eggs, too. Your dad wanted some, I'm already making them.”

“I’m fine,” Peter replied. He continued tapping away at his phone, texting Gwen while he stood and grabbed a bowl from the counter.

“Alright,” Steve said. “Just let me know if you change your mind.”

Peter wasn’t sure what happened. Whether it was the insistence about a couple of _stupid_ fucking eggs, or just the fact that Steve was taking up _his_ fucking kitchen, something made Peter completely snap.

“Just let it go about the fucking eggs!” he shouted, whirling on Steve. “Jesus, why the hell are you always here, why can’t you just leave me alone? I don’t even like you, quit trying to fucking connect with me or whatever! It’s never going to happen, so you might as well quit and leave me alone, got it?”

Steve had dropped the spatula he was using and was staring at the stove, where the eggs were currently burning. He hadn’t turned to face Peter yet. _Good,_ Peter thought vindictively. _Maybe he finally gets the point._

“I’m going to school,” he muttered instead, grabbing his backpack off the floor.

He pressed the elevator button angrily and stepped in. As it closed, he could have sworn he heard Steve whisper, “Have a good day.”

\--------------------

Steve was gone when Peter got back that afternoon, and his dad apparently wasn’t in the mood to talk.

“Hey, JARVIS, where is everyone?” Peter asked, throwing his backpack down.

“Your father is in his workshop,” JARVIS replied, “and Captain Rogers has… taken a mission.”

“Tell Dad I'm home, okay? I’m gonna go down in a bit and see what he’s up to.”

“I would advise against it,” JARVIS replied. “Sir is in one of his moods, it seems.”

Well, wasn’t that just perfect. “Still,” Peter said. “I’ll go down anyways.”

The music was blaringly loud when Peter arrived, and his access code wouldn’t work. He keyed in the emergency one and winced when the music assaulted him full-force.

JARVIS obligingly turned it down and Dad glared up at the ceiling. “What is it now, J?” he asked angrily.

“Dad,” Peter called. Dad turned and sighed when he saw him. “What the hell are you doing down here?”

“Working,” Dad replied curtly.

“Why is the music so loud?” Peter asked.

“Distraction.”

Apparently it was a ‘one-word answer’ kind of day. “Need any help?”

Without warning, Dad slammed his hands down on the table with a broken, “Damn it!” Peter jumped back and frowned in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, going to sit across the table from the man.

Dad rubbed his forehead and sighed heavily. “Nothing,” he muttered. “You should have told me, is all.”

“Told you about what?”

Dad snorted a bitter laugh and picked a rag up to wipe his hands. “That you didn’t like Steve,” he replied. “Should’ve told me a lot sooner than five years, kid.”

Oh. “I just sort of snapped,” Peter said dismissively. “I’ll get over it, you know?”

The truth was, he kept up the façade that he liked Steve because, for whatever reason, his dad saw something in that star-spangled jerk. His dad had been alone for as long as Peter could remember—raising Peter on his own after his mom abandoned him at the Tower because she couldn’t handle it, refusing to go on dates because he had to drive Peter somewhere or take him out to eat because there was no food in the Tower because Hulk had gone on another rampage. Then he’d met Steve, and it had been good, so Peter decided he had to do something for his dad for once.

Dad raked his fingers through his hair and sighed again. “Well, you don’t have to get over it,” he said. “Just you and me again, huh?”

Peter frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked. “JARVIS said Steve was going on a mission, that’s all.”

“Yeah, and after that he’s going on another one, and another, and…” Dad shook his head. “And after that he’s moving to DC to work at SHIELD headquarters.”

“What?”

Dad leaned back and threw the rag down in irritation. “Yeah,” he replied. “Steve’s gone, and he’s not coming back.”

Peter glanced around, half-hoping this was some kind of trick. “Dad, I wasn’t trying to, like, push him out or anything,” he insisted. “It’s just that I'm not a big fan of the guy, that’s all. I’ll get over it, like I said.”

“Peter, you don’t get it,” Dad replied. “I told Steve from the beginning, you were the most important thing to me. That you took precedence over everything else. And when he found out that… you didn’t want him around, didn’t like him, well…” Dad shrugged. “He knew what that meant.”

“ _You_ threw Steve out just because I didn’t like him?”

Dad laughed bitterly. “I didn’t even get the chance to talk to him about it. He came in, packed a bag, told me what you said, and left. Headed off to Siberia to hunt Nazis. And that was it.”

“Jesus,” Peter sighed. “I guess I can talk to him, get him to come back.”

“Too late for that,” Dad replied. He glanced over at Peter, and Peter saw that his eyes were red like he’d been crying. “Just you and me again, kid,” he said with a small smile. “That’s what works best anyways.”

\--------------------

Okay, so Peter could admit when he’d fucked up. And he’d fucked up big time.

“JARVIS, try calling Steve,” he said once he’d gone up to his room. Dad had stayed in the workshop, claiming he needed a little time alone.

“Captain Rogers is not currently available,” JARVIS replied. “His phone is out of satellite range.”

“Can you track it?”

“I’m afraid that is impossible.”

Peter sighed. “Well, then, let me know when he gets within cell range,” he said instead.

“Certainly, sir.” JARVIS hesitated, and then asked, “May I ask what prompted your dislike for the captain?”

Peter flopped on the bed and rubbed his fingers through his hair. “He’s such a goody-two-shoes,” he started. “He’s so controlling and demanding and always has to do ‘the right thing’ or whatever. He just annoyed me.”

“If I may be so bold as to overstep my boundaries,” JARVIS said. “I would like to show you something.”

Peter sat up and shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

JARVIS pulled up several videos, surrounding Peter in a light glow. He started each of them up and remained silent to let Peter watch.

The first one was when Peter was six, after the Avengers had first moved in. he and Steve were building with Legos, and Peter was chattering away while Steve watched with a small, fond smile on his face. Occasionally Peter would hand Steve a block and he would attach it to a particularly high place where Peter couldn’t reach.

The next was Steve in battle. He was on board some kind of ship, and going after the men aboard with a full, single-focused concentration, effortlessly wiping each one out before moving on to the next. Peter noticed several times where Steve would use a dirty trick or two to ensure that his opponent would be knocked out.

Peter turned to the third, which was like a montage of clips mashed together. Steve making him breakfast in the morning, Steve wrapping presents on Christmas Eve, Steve standing up against Fury and proclaiming that if he tried to move Peter out of the Tower Steve would come after him and single-handedly destroy his career.

“It appears to be only the past year or so that you have grown to dislike Captain Rogers,” JARVIS said. “Before then you two were very close. Steve even told sir on several occasions that he enjoyed being your second ‘father figure’. That is why I asked why you no longer care for the captain’s presence.”

“Umm…” Peter was only half paying attention; he was too engrossed in the video feeds. He had forgotten some of these things—these memories where Steve took care of him. “I just thought…”

“If I may be so bold again,” JARVIS interrupted. “I believe I know what may have prompted your dislike.”

A final feed came up in front of Peter, of Steve and his dad fighting each other. They were shouting, and Peter strained to hear what they were saying. Something about a war, and a registration—

“Oh,” Peter breathed. “Right. The Civil War. The Superhero Registration Act, the one Dad supported.”

“And Captain America did not,” JARVIS finished. “It broke them apart for several months, as they fought and argued over it until Captain Rogers’ apparent assassination.”

Christ, Peter remembered that. Dad had been inconsolable for weeks, blocking everyone out and locking himself in the workshop until Peter had begged him to come back. He remembered the look on Dad’s face when he’d found out that Steve was still alive, remembered their reunion and how they’d been inseparable ever since.

“It is possible that your contempt for Captain Rogers opposing your father may have bothered you, and their sudden closeness afterwards had, as you would say, ‘sealed the deal’,” JARVIS said.

“So…” Peter frowned in thought. “I was pissed at Steve for going against Dad, and then pissed ‘cause he was killed, and pissed when Dad just forgave him and they got back together. And all that… just joined together? And that’s why I'm so upset with Steve all the time?”

“It has happened before,” JARVIS replied. “Your attempt to repress the anger in order to keep your father happy only made it worse.”

“But I’m not mad at Steve about all that,” Peter insisted. “I mean, I guess I was, but…”

“You used to call him ‘Cap’ before the war,” JARVIS interrupted. “You do not call him as such anymore. You have distanced yourself from him.”

Peter leaned forward, suddenly feeling sick. “I took all that out on him,” he muttered. “After Dad just forgave him, I was so pissed about all it that I took it out on him and wasn’t even realizing it.”

“Your father forgave Captain Rogers because he loved him,” JARVIS replied. “I am to understand that is what one does when they love someone, after all.”

“Yeah, unless you’re a pathetic little shit like me,” Peter said bitterly. “Cap only ever took care of me and I let one fight cloud my judgment.”

JARVIS was silent for a moment, and Peter feared that he had left him alone until he heard, “There is still time to fix this, young sir.”

“How?” Peter asked. “Steve’s gone, he’s moving away and there’s nothing I can do.”

“Captain Rogers is now within cell range,” JARVIS informed him. “And as I said before, people are more likely to forgive those that they love.”

Peter took a shaky breath and nodded. “Call him,” he said.

\--------------------

Steve was entering the safe house when he heard his phone ring. He was half-afraid it was Tony, but when he checked it, the screen read ‘unknown name’. Frowning he answered the call.

“Hello?” he asked.

There was a quick breath on the other end and then Steve heard a shaky, _“Cap?”_

Steve inhaled quietly and sat in an open chair. “Peter,” he murmured, ignoring for now that Peter had called him ‘Cap’ when he hadn’t done that in a year. “Has something happened to your dad?”

_“No, Dad’s fine,”_ Peter reassured him. _“It’s just, umm… it may have come to my attention that I’ve been a real asshole.”_

Steve frowned. “Did your father tell you that?” he asked. “That’s not true, and you know it.”

_“No, it wasn’t Dad. I sort of came to that conclusion on my own.”_

Steve sighed and rubbed his temple. “Peter,” he started quietly. “Peter, it’s really okay. I understand, you don’t want me around anymore and that’s fine, okay? That’s your opinion and it’s fine.”

_“No, no, that’s not it,”_ Peter insisted. _“I just… I mean… God, I am such a piece of shit.”_

“Don’t say that,” Steve replied vehemently. “Never say that, that’s not true.”

_“But I do like you, Cap!”_ Peter said. _“I do, I always have, but when the war happened between you and Dad I was angry because you were going against him, and he’s my dad, you know? And then you died, and I was mad because you got killed, and then you came back and I was mad because you lied about dying and then Dad just forgave you and I was still so angry about everything but I bottled it up because Dad was happy again.”_ He took a deep breath and finished, _“I just kept it all in and suddenly every little thing you did started irking me and pissing me off and I just… I just snapped.”_

“Oh, Peter,” Steve breathed. He leaned back in his chair and felt his heart thumping painfully. “Peter, that fight… it was unavoidable. Your father and I just had two different opinions, it just happened. And I wasn’t lying to you about dying; I had no way to send a message to you and your father that I was alive because we were fighting Red Skull. I came back as soon as I could, I swear.”

Peter took another shaky breath. _“I know, Cap, I know,”_ he replied. _“But I didn’t get it then, I was just… so angry about it all. But I realize how shitty it all was now, how shitty I was_ —”

“Peter, I swear, this was not your fault,” Steve interrupted. “It was just anger, it’s really okay.”

_“I just… I just really want you to come home,”_ Peter said. Steve heard his voice break, like he was on the verge of tears. _“Please, I need to tell you how sorry I am in person and—”_

“Shh, of course I’ll come home,” Steve soothed. “I’ll be there tomorrow, okay? I’ll catch the first flight out, let Natasha and Bucky handle the rest of this, and we’ll talk it out.”

_“Yeah. Okay. Good.”_ Peter took a steadier breath and sniffed. _“I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow, Cap._ ”

“Goodnight, Peter,” Steve replied quietly. “Have a good night.”

Peter laughed wetly and ended the call, leaving Steve to sit alone in the safe house, feeling lighter than he had in months.

\--------------------

“So, anyway, that’s it,” Peter finished lamely. He shifted in his seat and glanced up at Cap through his lashes. “I’m sorry, I really am. I was just so angry about it all and I should have talked to you, or Dad, or someone.”

Cap smiled and leaned forward on his elbow. “It’s alright, Peter,” he said. He’d been saying that a lot, ever since he’d walked through the door and Peter had accidentally tackled him with relief. “It’s over now.”

“Why aren’t you pissed?” Peter asked. “Why aren’t you furious that I was such an asshole to you?”

“Trust me when I tell you that anything you do, your father has tried,” Cap chuckled. “And he is ten times worse than you are.”

“He never pushed you out,” Peter said.

Cap frowned. “Why do you think he and I were on opposite sides during the war?” he asked. “What started as a little argument turned into months of bitter fighting. We were breaking apart long before the actual war broke out, simply because your father insisted on bringing every little mistake I made into the argument.”

“Really?” Peter frowned. “I don’t remember that.”

“We made sure to keep it hidden from you,” Cap replied. “You were just starting high school, we didn’t want to create more stress. Then the war broke out, and we separated and it just… fell apart.”

Peter sighed and let his head fall into his hands. “God, I am such an idiot,” he whispered. He felt Cap’s hand, warm on his shoulder, and relaxed into it. “How can you keep forgiving me, forgiving us?”

“Because I love you two,” Cap said gently. “I love you and your father very much. I always have. So I will always forgive you. That’s how it works.”

After Peter and Cap had finished talking, they went downstairs to find Dad. He was hunched over a small machine, muttering to himself while he worked. Peter saw Cap smile fondly and stepped back to give them some privacy.

Cap went forward and touched Dad’s shoulder. “Tony,” he said gently. “Tony, sweetheart, you’re exhausting yourself again.”

Dad glanced up and froze when he saw who it was. “Steve?” he asked carefully. “You’re… you’re back.”

Cap smiled and sat on the bench beside him. “I’m home,” he replied.

As Peter watched them embrace, he smiled to himself. It was nice to know that no matter how bad his family got, they would always forgive.

**Author's Note:**

> It's actually ironic, because Spider-Man was caught in the middle during the Civil War and never actually joined a side. But yeah, several people asked for this and since someone said tomorrow was their birthday (and because I posted a super fluffy chapter for Signs of Life) I felt obligated to give you a little angst. (Except I can't leave it with a sad ending, I just can't do that to my babies).
> 
> Got an idea for a fic? A prompt you'd like to see? Either leave a comment on this fic OR go to my [tumblr ask box](http://halfway-punk-rock.tumblr.com/ask) and leave it for me. I'd love to hear them!


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